*SB0359.2*
Reprinted
February 12, 2025
SENATE BILL No. 359
_____
DIGEST OF SB 359 (Updated February 11, 2025 2:14 pm - DI 152)
Citations Affected: IC 20-20; IC 20-26.
Synopsis: Student well-being and resiliency. Requires the department
of education (department), in consultation with the office of the
secretary of family and social services, to approve and make available
student mental well-being resources for certain schools. Requires the
governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent authority for
a charter school to publish and publicly post the approved student well-
being resources. Establishes the resiliency program (program) to
provide eligible schools the opportunity to participate in a program
designed to help students build resiliency and grit so that students are
ready to learn. Requires the department to develop guidelines to
determine which eligible schools may participate in the program.
Requires an eligible school selected by the department to participate in
the program to follow certain requirements and procedures before a
student may participate in the program. Requires the department to
prepare a report concerning the program and submit the report to the
legislative council.
Effective: Upon passage; July 1, 2025.
Alexander, Donato, Rogers, Hunley
January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
Development.
January 30, 2025, reported favorably — Do Pass.
February 11, 2025, read second time, amended, ordered engrossed.
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 Reprinted
February 12, 2025
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
Constitution) is being amended, the text of the existing provision will appear in this style type,
additions will appear in this style type, and deletions will appear in this style type.
Additions: Whenever a new statutory provision is being enacted (or a new constitutional
provision adopted), the text of the new provision will appear in this style type. Also, the
word NEW will appear in that style type in the introductory clause of each SECTION that adds
a new provision to the Indiana Code or the Indiana Constitution.
Conflict reconciliation: Text in a statute in this style type or this style type reconciles conflicts
between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
SENATE BILL No. 359
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 20-20-50 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE
2 AS A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE
3 JULY 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 50. Resiliency Program
5 Sec. 1. As used in this chapter, "eligible school" means a public
6 school, including a charter school (as defined in IC 20-24-1-4).
7 Sec. 2. As used in this chapter, "program" refers to the
8 resiliency program established by section 3 of this chapter.
9 Sec. 3. The resiliency program is established to help students
10 build resiliency and grit so that students are ready to learn.
11 Sec. 4. The department shall approve a provider or providers to
12 offer the following through the program:
13 (1) Weekly or biweekly universal life skills lessons for
14 kindergarten through grade 12 provided by a whole group
15 teacher led model throughout the school year.
16 (2) The opportunity for students in grades 6 through 12, who
17 have been identified with subclinical levels of anxiety, low
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 2
1 motivation, disengagement, or lack of focus, to progress
2 through a virtual or in-person coaching program that teaches
3 resiliency strategies so students have the tools to re-engage in
4 school.
5 (3) An option for the coaching program described in
6 subdivision (2) to be credit bearing for high school students.
7 (4) Optional family programs.
8 (5) Optional educator programs, eligible for approval by the
9 department as credit for educator professional development,
10 that are designed to enhance an educator's ability to support
11 student resiliency.
12 Sec. 5. The department shall determine which credits the
13 coaching program described in section 4(3) of this chapter may
14 satisfy for high school students.
15 Sec. 6. Eligible schools may apply to the department to
16 participate in the program in a form and manner prescribed by the
17 department.
18 Sec. 7. The department shall develop guidelines to determine
19 which eligible schools may participate in the program. The
20 guidelines developed by the department must give priority to
21 eligible schools in rural communities.
22 Sec. 8. (a) An eligible school selected by the department to
23 participate in the program must provide the parent of a student or
24 the student, if the student is an adult or an emancipated minor,
25 with a written request for the student to participate in the program
26 before the student may participate in the program. A consent form
27 provided to a parent of a student or a student under this section
28 must accurately summarize the contents and nature of the
29 program and indicate that a parent of a student or an adult or
30 emancipated student has the right to review and inspect all
31 materials related to the instruction provided by the program. The
32 written consent may be sent in an electronic format. The parent of
33 the student or the student, if the student is an adult or an
34 emancipated minor, may return the consent form indicating that
35 the parent of the student or the adult or emancipated student:
36 (1) consents to participate in the program; or
37 (2) declines to participate in the program.
38 (b) If the parent of the student or the student, if the student is an
39 adult or an emancipated minor, does not respond to the written
40 request provided by the school under subsection (a) within
41 twenty-one (21) calendar days after receiving the request under
42 subsection (a), the student will not be permitted to participate in
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 3
1 the program unless the parent or the adult or emancipated student
2 subsequently provides written consent for the student to
3 participate in the program.
4 Sec. 9. (a) Not later than December 1, 2026, and each December
5 1 thereafter, the department shall prepare a report concerning the
6 program. The report must include the following:
7 (1) The number of students participating in the program.
8 (2) The number of teachers participating in the program.
9 (3) Recent trends in the field of resiliency.
10 (4) Demographic participation.
11 (5) An evaluation of the program's effectiveness, measured by
12 student engagement, performance, and attendance.
13 (6) Any other information the department considers relevant.
14 (b) The department shall submit the report described in
15 subsection (a) to the legislative council in an electronic format
16 under IC 5-14-6.
17 SECTION 2. IC 20-26-5-44.5 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA
18 CODE AS A NEW SECTION TO READ AS FOLLOWS
19 [EFFECTIVE UPON PASSAGE]: Sec. 44.5. (a) As used in this
20 section, "school" means the following:
21 (1) A school maintained by a school corporation.
22 (2) A charter school.
23 (b) Not later than August 1, 2025, and each August 1 thereafter,
24 the department shall approve, in consultation with the office of the
25 secretary of family and social services, and make available to a
26 school student well-being resources on the following subjects:
27 (1) Youth suicide.
28 (2) Human trafficking.
29 (3) Interpersonal violence.
30 (4) Child abuse and neglect.
31 (5) Substance abuse.
32 (c) The governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent
33 authority for a charter school shall:
34 (1) publish the student well-being resources approved under
35 subsection (b) on the school's:
36 (A) website; and
37 (B) social media accounts; and
38 (2) post a hard copy of the student well-being resources
39 approved under subsection (b) in a location that is visible and
40 accessible to all students of the school.
41 (d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the
42 governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent authority
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 4
1 for a charter school from publishing or posting well-being
2 resources in addition to the student well-being resources approved
3 by the department under subsection (b).
4 SECTION 3. An emergency is declared for this act.
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 5
COMMITTEE REPORT
Mr. President: The Senate Committee on Education and Career
Development, to which was referred Senate Bill No. 359, has had the
same under consideration and begs leave to report the same back to the
Senate with the recommendation that said bill DO PASS.
(Reference is to SB 359 as introduced.)
RAATZ, Chairperson
Committee Vote: Yeas 13, Nays 0
_____
SENATE MOTION
Mr. President: I move that Senate Bill 359 be amended to read as
follows:
Page 1, line 10, delete "by learning to manage their thoughts,".
Page 1, delete lines 11 through 12, and insert "so that students are
ready to learn.".
Page 1, line 15, after "universal" insert "life skills".
Page 2, delete lines 4 through 5, and insert "through a virtual or
in-person coaching program that teaches resiliency strategies so
students have the tools to re-engage in school.".
Page 2, line 6, delete "Optional" and insert "An option for the
coaching program described in subdivision (2) to be".
Page 2, line 6, after "bearing" delete "courses".
Page 2, line 11, delete "growth and well-being." and insert
"resiliency.".
Page 2, line 13, delete "courses" and insert "coaching program".
Page 2, between lines 21 and 22, begin a new paragraph and insert:
"Sec. 8. (a) An eligible school selected by the department to
participate in the program must provide the parent of a student or
the student, if the student is an adult or an emancipated minor,
with a written request for the student to participate in the program
before the student may participate in the program. A consent form
provided to a parent of a student or a student under this section
must accurately summarize the contents and nature of the
program and indicate that a parent of a student or an adult or
emancipated student has the right to review and inspect all
materials related to the instruction provided by the program. The
written consent may be sent in an electronic format. The parent of
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152 6
the student or the student, if the student is an adult or an
emancipated minor, may return the consent form indicating that
the parent of the student or the adult or emancipated student:
(1) consents to participate in the program; or
(2) declines to participate in the program.
(b) If the parent of the student or the student, if the student is an
adult or an emancipated minor, does not respond to the written
request provided by the school under subsection (a) within
twenty-one (21) calendar days after receiving the request under
subsection (a), the student will not be permitted to participate in
the program unless the parent or the adult or emancipated student
subsequently provides written consent for the student to
participate in the program.".
Page 2, line 22, delete "8." and insert "9.".
Page 2, between lines 28 and 29, begin a new line block indented
and insert:
"(5) An evaluation of the program's effectiveness, measured
by student engagement, performance, and attendance.".
Page 2, line 29, delete "(5)" and insert "(6)".
(Reference is to SB 359 as printed January 31, 2025.)
ALEXANDER
SB 359—LS 6829/DI 152